


Lā’i

by weirdfishy



Series: OC Kiss Week 2021 [1]
Category: Original Work, Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, Found Family, Gen, I made the Apple Family vaguely Hawaiian-esque, Kisses, Kissing, Lavinia's is earthy lavender and wet salt (or the sea), Magic, Multi, OCkiss21, Other, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Romantic Soulmates, Soulmate AU, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates, The Apple Family doesn't have a name bc it would be unrealistic?, Wren is a redhead bc I finally freaking remembered ppl actually have that hair color naturally, allusions to courting, at least I think so for their status, but I wrote it for OC kiss week and none of the canon characters are mentioned, but it's unmentioned bc the focus is kisses, but not really I'm proud of this, happiness, people's magic has different scents, technically set in the Witcher verse, yes I wrote this instead of C'est la vie I'm sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-13
Packaged: 2021-03-12 18:54:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29389446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weirdfishy/pseuds/weirdfishy
Summary: Lavinia visits her (unofficial) adoptive family in the winter, and then snuggles with her unofficial girlfriend/soulmate.Lots of love and platonic kisseswritten for OC kiss week on tumblr
Relationships: Lavinia of Eldnbyrk & The Apple Family, Lavinia of Eldnbyrk & Wren, Lavinia of Eldnbyrk/Wren
Series: OC Kiss Week 2021 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2158920
Kudos: 1





	Lā’i

**Author's Note:**

> lā’i is the word for ti leaf in Hawaiian. The leaf has been used for medicinal purposes (historically), for lei making (the picture is a haku, which is worn around the head and of a thicker width. this one has both ti leaf and what I assume to be amaumau fern), for it’s uses in cooking (as a wrap, mostly), and protection/meditation. The plant is seen as a symbol of protection.
> 
> Enjoy! 💚

“Lavinia!!!”

Emilie’s excited little legs moved him across the grasses and wild moss of his family’s orchard, toward the familiar woman four times taller than him. His face was split into a wild grin, his arms flailing in an attempt to keep his small body upright as the wind whipped past his ears. 

The dynamic wind was due to the mage, who knew her pseudo-nephew loved the feel of it in his curly hair, and so always made sure to bend the air a little as he approached. Her face was also framed by a smile, this one less wild and more fond, her long legs eating more ground in a second than Emilie’s did in a minute. Once she was only a few apple trees away from him she crouched with her arms wide open.

“Emilie!!! I missed you!!” she called, causing him to screech and pump his legs faster until he all but slammed into her chest, his short arms and legs trying to wrap around her as she picked him up. He squealed as he was lifted off the ground, Lavinia jovially laughing and her eyes crinkling at the corners. He covered his eyes with his hands after looking through her long brown hair and over her shoulder, the sudden height scaring him. Lavinia tickled his sides to distract him, bouncing him around in her arms playfully as she casually strode through the apple orchard - she was home. Or at least, the closest thing to home and family she knew.

She turned her head to the side to press a kiss to the side of his head, making his face pop out of his hands before turning to smack a wet one on her cheek with a giggle. Lavinia tilted her head to the side with an impossibly fonder look and gently kissed his forehead before he begged to be let down to run ahead. The wet mark on her cheek disappeared with a small waft of earthy lavender before she followed Emilie into the orchard’s main house.

Once fully inside, she toed off her boots - first rule of the house: shoes don’t make it past the kitchen. Nati had too much to handle around the business and family to be worrying about sweeping dirt in her home - and stepped through the kitchen, which was surprisingly empty. Normally, Nati had Ariyl and their brood of (5) children and however many able-bodied grandchildren bustling around for some last-minute food preparation or anything she could think of this time of year.

Lavinia heard a sudden noisy ruckus and shuffle of bodies coming from where she knew was the gathering hall and her soft smile turned into a grin- they knew she was there. She was going to see her family. On her way through the halls, she was greeted by Nati herself, whose general aged look was out-shined by her warm and comforting air and toothy smile.

They both held their arms open, and once they reached each other Lavinia sighed into the embrace, her body bending slightly to fit more comfortably in Nati’s arms. 

“Hello little tita,” Nati said into Lavinia’s shoulder. Lavinia laughed and pulled away, faking a small pout at the nickname before Nati drew her head down to kiss both her cheeks. The familiar gesture wiped the put-out expression off her face even as she opened her mouth to rebut. Lavinia didn’t get in a verbal response though, because the rest of the family rushed her, Kavai punching the air out of her lungs with the force of his hug, Ariyl almost smothering her with kisses over her face - all of his children were home now - and the rest of them content with the heap of limbs and laugher they ended up as.

Every one of them sported a delighted smile on their faces, most of them hadn’t seen Lavinia - their sister, cousin, auntie, daughter, friend - for a few winters. Once they had picked themselves up off the floor they were more subdued in their greetings, Lavinia getting and giving more cheek kisses, tight hugs, and ' _I'm happy you're here'_ looks than she had in all the time she hadn’t seen them. When they were all done with greetings they settled into comfortable and well-loved couches and cushions, a hot drink in most of their hands.

“What’re you doing here, Vin? I thought you were coming next year?” Lima, Keoli’s daughter, questioned from her spot in between Lavinia’s legs, her green-and-brown eyes peering at her upside down. Lavinia gently pushed her head back upright, the tilt having disrupted the braids she was weaving. 

“I wanted to surprise you lot. Plus I picked up some gifts.” Lavinia tied off Lima’s braid before reaching into the knapsack she had carried in, pulling out a large bundle and putting it in front of Keoli, who gingerly unraveled it and started handing out small packages. Some of them were precious stones, others writing materials, seed pouches, a hair clip or ribbon - they were all very proud of their long black locks - or other knick-knacks of varying use and sentiment. There were a smattering of sounds of delight, soft reverential sighs, thanks, and excitement. Lavinia smiled, and then reached for another, smaller pouch. From the softened animal skin she pulled out the carved figure of an apple tree.

It was decently sized, about the size of a large apple, and was the simple brown of pinewood, sans the single apple hanging off of the highest branch. It was supposed to be red, but it had turned out more orange - not that her friend, Eskel, had minded, he was happy he even got the apple to look like an apple and in an appropriate proportion. She held it out so everyone could see it before she stood, walking it to Nati, who took it with an observant wonder. Augustine, another one of Nati’s grandbabies and Lima's cousin, looked at it across the room with an excitable sort of reverence- he had been working on improving his carving skills ever since Eskel had visited. He got up to examine it further, while Lavinia retook her seat.

“We crossed paths last winter, said he wanted to give you bunch a gift for your hospitality. I figured since I’ve been collecting all those things for a while I might as well stop by before I go see Wren.” She picked at her fingers in her lap, looking at Ariyl and Nati. “I...I’m giving her an ear cuff tomorrow,” she breathed out, sounding both nervous and determined at her choice. 

Everybody above the age of 8 gasped- Lavinia was going to propose a formal courting. For Lavinia, giving someone a handmade ear cuff was the first step in courting another. The process came from her birth-mother, Cyrena, who had been a long-living relict of the beginnings of the earth they all stood on. The entire family knew it only because they had taken Lavinia under their wing and had helped discover the courting steps. Lima turned around in her seat, throwing her arms around her auntie with a delighted expression. The older woman returned the hug, and accepted the pats on the back and replies of congratulations, still focused on the pair of people she considered parents. 

“Stop messing with your hands, little tita, you’re going to end up picking off all of that pretty pigment off,” Nati choked out, her black eyes welling with tears and an ear-splitting smile spreading across her face. Ariyl got up, took Lavinia by the hands to stand her up, and started dancing them around the room, booming laughter coming out of his round belly and pressing firm kisses on the backs of his daughter’s hands and face. Lavinia’s nervousness dissipated, and the rest of the family got up to dance until it was dark.

~

“Good luck, Vin!” Emilie said, mimicking what the rest of the family had been saying for the past hour as Lavinia was loaded with impromptu gifts, well wishes, select dishes, and promises to come back sooner. She had promised to be back home next winter, maybe early fall, before undertaking the process of giving and receiving good-bye kisses and hugs. Proud tears in most of the adult’s eyes and chattering coming from the little ones, Lavinia gave one last wave, disappearing in a gust of wind, the scent of earthy lavender and wet salt hanging in the air.

~

Lavinia landed in a candle-lit room, the new shadows she was throwing across the wide floor distorted by the soft furs and rugs over cold stone. There was a small fire dying in the fireplace, letting in a slight chill, so she fed it with a brief gust of wind and wood before setting down her knapsack on a washed-out upholstered chair and setting aside her coat and boots. Rolling her shoulders, Lavinia stretched silently, having spotted Wren on her cushy four-poster, lightly snoring. 

After changing out of traveling garb Lavinia slid under the covers next to her lover and soul partner, rubbing her limbs together to chase the chill away. She didn’t want to wake Wren up with a shock of cold skin. But Wren woke up on her own, turning over to face Lavinia unconsciously before looking at her new bedmate through bleary green eyes. The corners of Wren’s mouth turned up as her lips parted slightly, and Lavinia reached a hand out to brush a thumb across Wren’s cheek, the other settling to entwine with Wren's hand.

“Lā’i...you’re here,” Wren whispered, Lavinia’s forehead coming to rest on hers. Lavinia nodded with a loving smile before breathing in, taking in the sharp citrus and fresh spring that was wholly _Wren_. She pressed a kiss to Wren’s lips, lingering for a breath before pulling away and curling the smaller woman into her chest. Wren’s eyes slid closed again, her limbs tangling with Lavinia’s. She dropped a kiss to the space over Lavinia’s heart, buried herself impossibly deeper, and slipped into sleep. 

Lavinia smiled into Wren’s red hair, giving the top of her head a kiss before following her into the land of dreams.

~

_Pau_

**Author's Note:**

> thank you ever so for reading!
> 
> If it would so please you, leave a kudos or comment! Even a little heart would be great
> 
> oh, hey- Wren needs a last name, anybody have any ideas?
> 
> here you can find [my tumblr](https://weirdfishy.tumblr.com/) or the [here's the original post!](https://weirdfishy.tumblr.com/post/643076496784769024/l%C4%81i) 💚💚
> 
> -fishy


End file.
